5 Reasons Why Midwest Transplants Thrive in the Big City

Finding your place in this world can be pretty difficult, not to mention how hard it can be to move there. Storage.com is here to help with the moving process, either by providing storage or helping you find the ideal place to call home.

Graduating from college marks the first time in a young professional’s life that there’s no prescribed “next step.” You could get married, backpack around Europe for a few months, or interview at every company that’s hiring until you score your first job (and that beautiful full-time salary). The options are endless.

For many, however, that next step is relocating to one of the biggest cities in the country. Sometimes, that’s just across the state; other times, it’s a life-changing move to the East Coast or West Coast. For born-and-bred Midwesterners, this can be a huge adjustment (or a dream-come-true moment).

Fortunately, people from the Midwest have some advantages when it comes to being the new fish in the pond, whether that’s in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, or Houston. Check out these five reasons why Midwesterners totally kill it in new cities!

1. THEY’RE NICE.

In Nebraska, they call it being “Nebraska Nice,” and other Midwest states have their own variations. Why? Because there’s truth to the stereotype that Midwesterners are warmer than their coastal counterparts.

In Midwest states, you’re likely to find genuine eye contact, unsolicited smiles, and general helpfulness. These are all traits Midwest transplants tend to bring with them wherever they go. That’s not to say that no one in New York ever smiles, or that every person from the center of the country is an unwavering delight. But since courtesy is second nature to so many from the Midwest, it’s easy for them to ingratiate themselves in a new place. Whether it’s smiling at cashiers or asking a new boss about her child, sincerity can take Midwesterners a long way in both their personal and professional lives.

2. THEY’RE NEW.

One of the best things about Midwest transplants in the big city is their enthusiasm, especially for things that long-time urbanites take for granted. People who have lived in huge cities their whole lives may not be able to understand just how exciting it is to be surrounded by the amazing food of other cultures at all times. Or how unreal it is to take the subway home rather than having to designate (or worse, be designated) a driver.

This means Midwest transplants are down for trying new things and really enjoying each moment. From finally experiencing a world where sandy beaches are a block away to spotting celebrities shopping in the same store, things that are been-there-done-that to natives will keep Midwest transplants happy.

3. THEY CAME TO WORK.

Despite what people outside of the Midwest think, living in the Midwest doesn’t necessarily mean growing up and living on a farm (Read: Most people don’t have cows). That said, Midwesterners—whether they came from a farm, the suburbs, or the inner city—have a serious work ethic. And that’s because the Midwest mentality is all about doing hard work and earning your keep.

The decision to move isn’t one that anyone takes very lightly, so to uproot and move to a competitive job market where rent is at least double what a Midwesterner is used to requires real ambition. So when it comes time to move for a specific job opportunity or just to “make it” in one of America’s biggest cities, you can bet someone from that “flyover state” is going to work their tail off.

4. THEY’RE THE IDEAL ROOMMATE.

Midwest transplants are basically everyone’s dream roomie. Think about the points we’ve made. They’re nice, they’re psyched about trying new experiences, and they’re always working hard. In other words, they’re not going to cause problems, they’ll be cool with grabbing coffee or checking out the nightlife, and they’ll probably keep up on the apartment chores. What more could someone want in a roommate?

Also, many Midwesterners come from big families, where they’re constantly surrounded by siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, so they have good people skills. It means they’re used to sharing a living space as well, so the chances of them being an inconsiderate roommate are few and far between.

5. THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO PROVE.

Iowans can only hear about Prince Farming so many times. Kansans reached their Wizard of Oz joke threshold long before they moved out of Johnson County. South Dakotans don’t really need to hear about the one time your family went to Mount Rushmore and “it was sort of boring.” And while a Midwesterner can easily answer other people’s questions about how to cook a good steak and what it’s like having all four seasons, they’ll probably be looking to shed those stereotypes as fast as possible.

It’s not that they lack hometown or home-state pride. In fact, that’s just the opposite! They’ll always stand up for their favorite college and pro teams from back home, and they may never drop their regional dialect (Eh, Minnesota?). But they did move to a big city away from home for a reason—to forge an identity all their own.

At the end of the day, people are people, and the successful ones will do great things no matter where they land. But if you’re a Midwesterner worried about making the big move to a new city, take comfort in the fact that you’re pretty much already set up for success just by being who you are. So get out there!

Molly Hammond is a member of the content team at Storage.com. An equal opportunity storage enthusiast, Molly writes about everything, from where to store your extra boat to turning your storage unit into a custom cosplay workshop. When she’s not learning about the evils of plastic bags for clothing storage, she’s eating french fries, watching HBO, and wishing for snow.

Relocating? Use Self Storage While You Find a New Home

Storage.com is your number one ally when moving to a new home. We’re here to provide you with useful moving tips and hacks, or additional storage whenever necessary.

Are you relocating before you have a new home lined up? It’s not uncommon to need a temporary place to store your household goods while you complete the details of a move, including starting a new job, selling your old home, finding a new home, or waiting for a new lease to start.

Self storage is the answer when you find yourself between homes while relocating. Rent a storage unit to store your possessions until you can move into your new home.

How to Plan Storage When Relocating

Once you know your moving date, you can search for a storage facility with a suitable unit and reserve it for your moving date.

Finding a Storage Facility: Rather than calling all over to track down storage facilities where you’re moving, use our website to search for available storage in any location in the U.S. and reserve a unit online in minutes!

Selecting a Move-In Date: It might seem convenient to move in on the weekend when you don’t have work, but it’s also convenient for everyone else. If possible, pick a weekday when the facility will be relatively empty so you won’t be tripping over other tenants.

Helpful Storage Features When Moving

Planning self storage for moving is a matter of finding the right unit size and much more. Look for these key storage features:

Unit Size: Are you relocating from an apartment? If so, chances are a 10×15 storage unit will be enough space to hold all of your stuff. Capable of holding the contents of three bedrooms, it can handle furniture, boxes, and any appliances you may be moving. For those relocating from a house, depending on the size, you’ll likely want to find a 10×20 or a 10×30 storage unit. For more information, use our unit size guide to determine how large of a unit you may need.

Flexible Lease: Hopefully your transition won’t last long, and you can find the ideal new home fairly quickly. Look for a storage facility that will give you a flexible, short-term lease on a weekly or monthly basis so that you don’t have to pay for storage longer than you need it.

Drive-Up Access: Does the storage facility you’re looking at have wide-drive aisles so your moving truck or trailer can fit? Does your storage unit have drive-up access for easy loading and unloading? The wide-drive aisles and drive-up access features makes your moving experience all the easier, so be sure to use these storage amenities during your relocation.

Climate Control: If you’re going to be moving to a hot and humid climate in the summer, find a storage facility that offers climate control. This feature maintains moderate temperature and humidity levels in your storage unit. It’s important to protect sensitive items, like wood furniture, electronics, books, and more, that may warp or become damaged during their stay in a muggy and overheated storage unit.

Facility Security: Lastly, and most importantly, find a storage facility with excellent security features so you’ll know your things are safe while in storage. While basic security such as gated access is great, be sure to look for more advanced amenities like video surveillance, onsite management, and alarmed units, especially if you’re unfamiliar with neighborhoods in your new locale.

Moving into a Storage Unit

Just like packing up boxes at home, how you go about packing your storage unit can also save you work and energy later on. Channeling your inner Tetris star, start by placing your largest items—couches, beds, tables, and appliances—toward the back of the unit. You won’t be needing these items while they’re in storage, so it makes sense to keep them out of the way.

At the same time, place the items you may need to get to closer to the door of your unit, like additional clothes or documents you may be storing. If space allows, it will also pay to leave an aisle in the center of your belongings, as it will make it easier access other items that are stored away.

Once all of your things are safely stowed away, you’ve got one less thing to worry about, meaning you can focus your attention on finding your new home! When you do find your new home, your storage unit will have everything ready and waiting to be loaded back up for its final destination. ​

Having worked as a reporter and editor for a small newspaper, Vince loves finding experts and professionals to talk to about specific topics and trends. Outside of writing, he loves staying in shape and reading science fiction and fantasy.

I agree that finding a storage facility with a flexible lease would be a good idea. I would imagine that finding someone who has a flexible and short-term contract would be best. My husband and I are looking for somewhere to store our things after a recent move so we’ll be sure to find somewhere with a flexible lease. http://www.flyingtrolleyselfstorage.com/

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